Our president knows nothing about the Hall of Presidents

My Chronicle colleague and fellow sci-fi geek Matt Stannard sent me this link earlier today, featuring President Obama recording audio for his entry in the Disneyland Disney World Hall of Presidents exhibit. There were several interesting moments, but the following question from Obama about the animatronic presidents really surprised me. (He was talking to the Disney people in the room.)

It’s hard to imagine that on the election trail Barack Obama didn’t once think “Holy crap! If I win this thing I’m going to be in the Hall of Presidents! I just hope they build me better than Lincoln.” And I don’t know of any kid who went to a Disney park with a parent cool enough to bypass the boring educational tedium of the Hall of Presidents or the similarly animatronic Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln exhibit at Disneyland. So my initial assumption was that Obama never made it farther than Sea World during his childhood vacations.

But then I found this YouTube clip, where he talks to David Letterman about going to Disneyland as a child. So now I’m thinking that the animatronic Hall of Presidents Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln exhibit wasn’t built yet — it debuted in Disneyland in 1966 — or was getting a new coat of paint the day that the Obamas visited the Magic Kingdom. Or maybe he just spent the entire day riding the Matterhorn over and over.

Still, it’s hard to believe: Barack Obama, an elected president, didn’t know about the Hall of Presidents? Whatever the explanation, he’s definitely getting bumped off the top of my list of dream Trivial Pursuit partners.